Again in 1989: (© Reginald Davis – Shutterstock) Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte, October 1st, 1996: On Luxembourg National Day, June 22, 2000, wearing the Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown: (© Pool BENAINOUS - DEVILLE - DUCLOS- REY - Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) Order of Léopold (Military Division) – Grand Cross Set of insignia: (© Government of the Kingdom of Belgium) Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte at the wedding of Prince Philippe of Belgium and Mathilde d'Udekem in Brussels, December 13, 1999 : (©Pool BENAINOUS - DEVILLE - DUCLOS- REY - Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium receives the Grand Cross of the Order of Malta at the Royal Palace of Brussels. January 21st, 1953: (© Keystone - Hulton Archive - Getty Images) Fittingly for a Catholic Prince whose godfather had been Pope Benedict XV, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess paid their first State Visit as Sovereigns of Luxembourg to Pope Paul VI, on May 6, 1965. (© Reginald Davis - Rex - Shutterstock) They paid a return Visit to Sweden in October 1991. (edited - thanks to Torkel) The star and sash badge of the Order of the Elephant of Finnish President Mauro Koiviston: In an almost unprecedented way, Jean had received the Order of the Golden Fleece both from the King of Spains, and from the Head of the House of Austria. King Albert II of the Belgians, Jean’s brother-in-law, also did. In October 2000: (© API - GAMMA RAPHO)
Grand Duke Jean by Alejo Vidal-Quadras (1969).
To commemorate the late Prince’s eventful life, I have assembled pictures of Grand Duke Jean and his family, with a few notes explaining the various insignia he wore in his lifetime.
The Prince was born on 5 January 1921 at the Castle of Colmar-Berg in Luxembourg. He was the first son of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg since 1919, and Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma, as such, in a strict agnatic perspective, Jean was a member of the Capetian House of Bourbon, rather than of the House of Nassau(-Weillburg).
The Prince’s parents had been married on November 6, 1919, these official pictures were taken on the occasion of their wedding.
Jean, who assumed the title and style of Hereditary Grand Duke from 1939, joined the Irish Guards in 1942, aged 21, as his family was in exile following the German invasion of the country.
Jean had completed some of his education in Britain, and according to Stéphane Bern, he retained a truly British sense of humour his life long, as recalled by Alastair Bruce in this delightful anecdote:
Jean served honourably in WW2, earning numerous military decorations:
The Luxembourgish, French and Belgian War Crosses (each with Palm), The Dutch Commemorative War Cross, The British 1939-1945 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-1945, and the American Silver Star.
(© Cour Grand-Ducale – Jochen Herling)
In 2002, he received the seldom-awarded Military Medal, Luxembourg’s highest military decoration.
In addition to these decorations, Grand Duke Jean had received King George VI (1937) and Queen Elizabeth II’s (1952) Coronation Medals, as well as Queen Juliana Inauguration Medal (1948), the Royal Silver Wedding Medal of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard (1962) and the Royal Wedding Medal of Princess Beatrix and Claus van Amsberg (1966); and King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal I (1996).
In France, 2004:
(©LuxPress)
Grand Duke Jean in Ouistreham (Normandy) for the Commemorations of D-Day, June 2014:
(© SIP - Charles Caratini)
On April 9th, 1953, Jean married Her Royal Highness Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. Together they had five children.
Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte, 1989:
(© Reginald Davis – Shutterstock)
(© LuxPress – Sipa)
The couple actively took part in the activities of the Grand Duchy, such as the State Visit of King Baudouin to Luxembourg in 1959… a Family affair! (Grand Duchess Charlotte is wearing the Diamond tiara of Hilda of Baden).
In 1963 Jean accompanied Grand Duchess Charlotte while she toured the United States, attending the dinner given by President and Mrs Kennedy in her honour.
(Still from ‘La Visite Officielle de S.A.R. Madame la Grande Duchesse aux Etats Unis’, RTL-CLT 1963)
Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte gave birth to Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg in her husband’s absence.
On November 12, 1964, Grand Duchess Charlotte decided to abdicate in favour of her eldest son, whom she had made Lieutenant-Representative in 1961, effectively transferring to him the last charges of her sovereignty.
(© Jean Weyrich - Archives LW)
Following the signature of the Act of Abdication, Jean was proclaimed Grand Duke in the premises of the Chamber of Deputies, where he swore his Accession oath.
During the Accession Ceremony, Jean was accompanied by his wife, the new Grand Duchess, and their children.
(© Archives familiales Pierre Werner)
As Sovereign of Luxembourg, Jean was the Head of the Order of the Golden Lion of the House of Nassau, Luxembourg highest honour, jointly with the ruling monarch of The Netherlands. He frequently wore the insignia of his house order, which has a distinguishable light orange sash with a blue stripe at each edge.
The star and sash badge of Finnish President Mauro Koiviston:
The Star of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, 1905 (The Hague, Koninklijke Verzamelingen, inv. MU3066):
The Sash Badge of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, 1905 (The Hague, Koninklijke Verzamelingen, inv. MU3066):
As ruling Grand Duke, Jean was also Sovereign and Head of the Order of the Oak Crown and the Order of Adolphe of Nassau.
As the husband of a Princess of Belgium, Grand Duke Jean received the country’s highest honour, the Grand Cross of the Order of Léopold (Military Division), probably at the time of his wedding.
Already at the time of his engagement to the Princess, Jean was photographed wearing the insignia of a Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Order of Saint-John of Jerusalem (Order of Malta)
(Photo Luxarazzi)
On that occasion, the Grand Duke wore the collar of the Order of the Golden Spur, one of the highest Chivalric Honours of the Papacy, second only to the Supreme Order of Christ, which technically became extinct with the death of King Baudouin of the Belgians in 1993.
(Still from ‘Zwee Liewe fir ee Land. 1964 – 1989 E Jubiläum’, directed by Jos Pauly, RTL, 2000)
Order of the Golden Spur – Collar Set (Reign of Pope Pius XI (1922-39), made by Tanfani & Bertarelli, Roma, silver, silver-gilt and enamel. Sold Bene Merenti Auk., 6 April 2019, lot 1015, 8000€):
Jean was the last living member of the Order of the Golden Spur.
Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte wore a white gown and mantilla, as prescribed by the so-called ‘Privilège du blanc’, with what appears to be her Scroll tiara, a wedding gift from the Société-Générale, and the two bigger diamond rivières from the Grand-Ducal collections.
(Still from ‘Zwee Liewe fir ee Land. 1964 – 1989 E Jubiläum’, directed by Jos Pauly, RTL, 2000)
You can make out the bow of the Cross Pro Ecclesia e Pontifice on her left breast:
A similar cross, on Gents’ ribbon:
In 1972, Jean was made a Stranger Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter on the occasion of his State Visit to the United Kingdom. At the time of his death, Jean was the most senior Stranger Knight of the Order.
During the procession at the State Banquet, 1972:
The Grand Duke’s privileged relation to Britain was highlighted in 1976, when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip paid a return visit to Luxembourg, the first such visit by a British monarch.
The welcome ceremony, on November 8, 1976. Grand Duke Jean wears the Order of the Garter:
(© Bell Ron - PA Photos – ABACA)
Official Banquet, on November 11, 1976:
(© Bell Ron - PA Photos – ABACA)
During the 1976 visit, Prince Henri (the current Grand Duke) was made an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
Grand Duke Jean’s Collar and Garter of the Order, along with Prince Henri’s GCVO insignia, are displayed here on an unidentified occasion:
In 1984, Grand Duke Jean was further honoured by Queen Elizabeth when she appointed him Colonel of the Irish Guards, a position he held until 2000, with the appointment of the Duke of Abercorn. As Colonel he frequently rode alongside Queen Elizabeth II for Trooping the Colours.
The Grand Duke’s Colonel Uniform, with his Garter Star and Sash, is displayed on the same occasion as above:
On June 17, 2002, Grand Duke Jean attended the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle, along with a number of European monarchs.
Following the announcement of the Grand Duke’s passing, his Garter Banner, which hangs in Saint-George Chapel at Windsor, will be removed.
Grand Duke Jean attended countless Royal events, including the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1990 he attended the Enthronement Ceremony of HIM Emperor Akihito of Japan in Tokyo with Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte.
(Photo The Royal Forums)
The Grand Duke was wearing the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum, and the Grand Duchess the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown.
Jean was also a Knight of Sweden’s most prestigious Order, The King’s Order, commonly known as the Order of the Seraphim.
His Shield as a Knight of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim has already been taken down, and a special bell ring was played in his honour at the Riddarholmskyrkan in Stockholm.
The shield bears the date July 18, 1951, when the Grand Duke was invested with the Order.
(© Twitter – Riddarholmskyrkan, April 23, 2019)
At some date the Grand Duke received the Collar of the Order, which was originally part of any Knight’s insignia but is now given by the King as a special distinction reserved to fellow monarchs and long-standing Nordic Presidents.
A Collar and Badge of the Order of the Seraphim, displayed in 1994 with the two old types of Stars of the Order (1919-1951 type (top) and 1951-2006 type)
(©The Royal Court of Sweden – His Majesty the King)
The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess received King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia for a State Visit in Luxembourg in September 1984.
Luxembourg, September 1984:
Sweden, October 1991:
They also attended the 50th birthday of Carl XVI Gustav in Stockholm, on April 30, 1996:
(©Pool BENAINOUS/SICA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
It seems that Jean and Charlotte were present for another ceremony (a Nobel Gala?) at another date:
(Photo Brigitte Gastel Lloyd Photo Album)
Naturally, Jean was also a Knight of Denmark’s first Order, the Order of the Elephant, which he received on November 22nd, 1976, according to his shield, which hangs on the walls of the magnificent Chapel of Frederiksborg Castle, where I photographed it in 2018.
(© Thomas Ghysdaël)
Luxembourgish State Visit to Denmark, 1988 (updated thanks to Stig - Scandinavian Message Board)
Very unusually, the Grand Duke’s heraldic achievements are surrounded by a representation of the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Following in his mother’s footsteps, Grand Duke Jean abdicated in favour of Hereditary Grand Duke Henri on October 7, 2000.
(©Info Presse - Gouver – Sipa)
He moved to the Château de Fisbach with his wife in 2002. In 2005 Joséphine-Charlotte died, and Jean remained the patriarch of the Nassau family, often attending great family occasions, such as the wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume with Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, on October 20, 2012.
He will be remembered as one of Europe’s most ardent partisans of unity between the continent’s peoples and nations, and an old-fashioned, discreet and caring Sovereign.
(© Cour Grand-Ducale – Jochen Herling)
To learn more about the late Grand Duke, you can watch old documentaries on this page:
https://www.rtl.lu/news/national/a/1280479.html
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